Woman Revives Boy, 8, Hit in Chest by Baseball During NJ Game

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Ian McGreevy (inset right) has been released from the hospital after suffering a "serious bruise" on his heart muscle when he was hit by a ball during a youth baseball game.

A quick-thinking New Jersey mother is being credited with helping save the life of a young boy who collapsed after a baseball hit him in the chest during a youth game over the weekend, authorities said.

Maureen Renaghan, 40, was watching her own son on the field Saturday when she saw 8-year-old Ian McGreevy on the opposing team get hit by a ball as the catcher tried to throw him out during a third base steal attempt, according to The Record.

The Harrington Park woman watched McGreevy get up after he was struck, but he quickly fell back to the ground -- and she ran over to help.

"I just saw this beautiful child on the ground, his eyes were wide open, his lips were turning a little blue," Renaghan told the paper. "I put my hand on his chest, and I didn't feel anything."

Renaghan began performing CPR on McGreevy, and by the fourth time she blew air into his mouth, she felt a heartbeat, she told The Record. He choked, turned over and threw up, she said.

He didn't remember what happened, but he did recall his name and where he lived, Renaghan said.

When paramedics arrived, the boy was fully conscious.

Police Chief Albert Maalouf told The Record McGreevy had appeared to have gone into cardiac arrest, and authorities were told he had stopped breathing for up to a minute.

"You hear about people talk about heroics, and I try not to overuse that word, but in this case, I think it applies," Maalouf told the paper. "For her to act fast, while others were in shock, she made a quick assessment and potentially saved this child's life."

The boy was airlifted to Hackensack Medical Center and released Sunday evening. Doctors told his parents they believed he had fully recovered from the trauma suffered when the ball hit him in the chest, near his heart.

They likened it to "a serious bruise on the heart muscle," and sent him home with a heart monitor as a precaution, according to The Record.

Renaghan told the paper she learned CPR about 20 years ago while she was training to be a camp counselor. "I was just so glad I could help," she said.

Published at 9:17 AM EDT on May 12, 2013 | Updated at 12:08 PM EDT on May 13, 2013